Door mounting and latching means



May 15, 1956 Filed Sept. 25, 1953 w. J. CLARK ET AL 2,745,132

DOOR MOUNTING AND LATCHING MEANS 5 Sheets-Sheet l F76. A34. 3! i4 497 1/37 Ti. Illlll F76 //z5 nvvszvroa:

May 15, 1956 W. J. CLARK ET AL DOOR MOUNTING AND LATCHING MEANS FiledSept. 25, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 y 1956 w. J. CLARK ET AL DOOR MOUNTINGAND LATCHING MEANS Filed Sept. 25, 1953 BY W flan/9W AGE/V71 5Sheets-Sheet 5 QF'ma/Z.

May 15, 1956 w. J. CLARK ET AL 2,

DOOR MOUNTING AND LATCHING MEANS Filed Sept. 25, 1953 5 Sheets-Shack 4i9 INVENTORS W/ZA/AM J. CAM/K May 15, 1956 w. J. CLARK ET AL I 2,745,132

DOOR MOUNTING AND LATCHING MEANS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 25, 1953WWW United States Patent DOOR MOUNTING AND LATCHING MEANS William J.Clark, Philadelphia, and James J. Devery,

Ambler, Pa., assignors to Philco Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., acorporation of Pennsylvania Application September 25, 1953, Serial No.382,264

' 7 Claims. c1. 16-147) The invention hereinafter described andclaimedrelates to closures for cabinets, such as refrigerator cabinetsor the like. More specifically, the invention has to do with means formounting the closure upon the cabinet in'a manner whereby the closuremay be opened from either the right or the left side of the cabinet,selectively.

in the past, most cabinets of the one door type have been provided withdoors that open and swing toward the right, and where conditions wereencountered requiring a door to swing toward the left, it has beennecessary to order a special structure. In refrigerator construction, itis diflicult and expensive to provide both right and left hand models,and in most cases homemakers have contented themselves with the standardright hand door.

It has long been the desire of many homemakers to have a refrigeratorincluding a door which may be opened from either side, thereby greatlyincreasing the refrigerators usefulness in the kitchen. This increasedusefulness would be afforded by the adaptability of the refrigerator forplacement in positions where its door can conveniently be opened onlyfrom either the right or the left side, or where it can be opened fromeither side, according to the convenience of the user. Manufacturershave been aware of this desire on the part of homemakers, and many haveattempted to design door hanging mechanisms suitable for this purpose.However, none of these previous structures have met with commercialsuccess.

It is therefore an important object of this invention to provide animproved and completely practical cabinet door mounting which willpermit the door to be opened from either its right or left hand side,selectively.

Another important object of the invention is to provide such a mechanismhaving means preventing inadvertent opening of the door from both sidessimultaneously, but which means may be rendered inoperative should'it bedesired to remove the door from the cabinet.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a mechanism of thistype which includes the high draw-in char acteristic of modern latchdesign, whereby the door is tightly sealed when closed.

Still another object of the invention is to provide such a mechanismincluding means to prevent rebound of the door to an open or ajarcondition during closure thereof.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a door mounting ofthis type including means supporting the door against sagging when swungopen to either side, and which is sturdy and dependable,positive inoperation and latching function, and which may be operated by a singleactuator or handle.

More specifically, our invention is featured by the provision of novelapparatus including latching means which serve also to support theweight of the door.

To the foregoing general ends, the invention provides door supportingapparatus comprising: at least a pair of hinging assemblies, one securedto the cabinet at one side of the cabinet opening and the other securedto the cabinet at the opposite side of the cabinet opening, eachassembly comprising supporting means carried by the cabinet and2,745,132 Patented May 15, 195 s latch bolts disposed at opposite sidesof the door, said latch bolts being selectively movable into and out ofen- 'g'agement with said strike means. The weight ofthe door is carriedsolely through the interengaging bolt and strike elements.

These and other objects of the invention, and the construction ofpreferred apparatus embodying said invention, may be fully understoodfrom the following description and the accompanying drawings,'in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a refrigerator cabinet embodyingapparatus in accordance with the principles of the invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the'refrigerator of Figure 1, showingthe door slightly opened about its left side;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but looking at the cabinet fromits left side and showing the door slightly opened about its right side;

Figure 4 is a sectional view through the door, taken along the line 44of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view, with parts broken away,showing one form of the combined latch-hinge mechanism embodying theinvention, with the door in closed position latched against the cabinet;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5, but showingthe door slightlyajar and the latch mechanism in its retracted or cocked position;

Figure 7 is a view of the latch mechanism taken substantially along theline 7-7 of Figure 5;

Figures 8, 9 and 10 are somewhat diagrammatic views of the latchactuating mechanism looking in the direction of the arrows on line 88 ofFigure 4; v

Figure 11 is an enlarged view of the actuating mechanism of Figures 8, 9and 10, showing its condition after one latch has been actuated and thehandle released;

Figure 12 is a still further enlarged side elevational view of themechanism shown inFigures 8-11, with parts broken away;

Figures 13A and 13B are sectional views taken along lines l3A--.13A and1313-133 of Figure 5, and showing one condition of disconnectable hingespositioned above and below each of the latch-hinge mechanisms;

Figures .14A and 14B are sectional views similar to Figures 13A and 13B,but illustrating another condition of the hinges;

Figure 15 is a view similar to Figure 2, but showing another form ofdoor mounting and latching means constructed in accordance with theprinciples of the invention;

Figures 16, 17 and 18 are operational views of the mechanism of Figure15, showing the apparatus in latched condition, unlatched condition, anda safety or intermediate condition, respectively;

Figures 19,20 and 21 are views of the latch actuating mechanism, takenalong line 19-19 of Figure 23;

Figure 22 is .a fragmentary view taken substantially along the line 2222of Figure 16; and p Figure 23 is a sectional view taken along line 23-23of Figure 19.

With detailed reference to the drawings, and more particularly toFigures 1, 2, 3 and 4 thereof, the numeral designates a domestic typerefrigerator comprising, generally, a cabinet 31 and a door '32. As seenmore clearly in Figure 4, the door comprises an inner panel 33, and anouter panel 34, joined about their peripheries at 35 in any suitablemanner, and with a resilient sealing gasket 36 secured to the door atthis junction.

Disconnectable hinges 3'7 are mounted at the top and bottom of each sideof the door, and as is shown more clearly in Figures 5 and 6, the hingeat the top comprises a leaf 38 secured to the cabinet adjacent the doorja'tnb,

and a leaf 39 fixed to the edge of the door. These hinges are of wellknown type which may be disconnected by relative movement of the leavesin the plane of the side wall of the cabinet, but which become lockedtogether when one leaf is rotated relative to the other while they areconnected.

As shown more clearly in Figures 5 and 6. hinge leaf 38 includes threeforwardly protecting knuckles 41 and a hinge pin 42 secured between thelower two of the knuckles, the upper knuckles being provided with a slot43 at its forward edge, see Figure 13A. Hinge leaf 39, secured to thedoor, likewise is provided with three knuckles 44. similar to those ofleaf 38 but offset relative to the knuckles of leaf 38 so as tointermesh therewith when the leaves are moved together. In leaf 39, thehinge pin 45 is secured between the top two knuckles while the lowerknuckle is open ended, as indicated at 46. Thus, as shown in Figures 13Aand 1313, when the hinge leaves are brought together with the forked oropen ends of the knuckles aligned with each other, each engages the pinof the other leaf in a manner permitting it to be disconnected byreversing the movement. It is seen, however, in Figures 14A and 1413,that as soon as these elements are rotated relative to each other, theopen ends of the knuckles are out of alignment and it is impossible toseparate the hinge leaves until the slots are again brought intoalignment. Thus, the hinge portions on one side are locked together whenthe door is opened from the other side. With regard to the bottom hinge37 (Figure 5), it will be noted that it is exactly the same as the tophinge except that it has been rotated through 180. Because of this, theposition of the respective hinge leaves is reversed, leaf 39a is securedto the cabinet and leaf 38a to the door. its operation, however.

Mounting the door to the cabinet and positioned on each side thereof,intermediate the upper and lower hinge members, is one form of combinedlatch-hinge mechanism 50, built in particular accordance with thisinvention. The mechanism includes latch bolt 51 adapted releasably toengage a strike 52 carried upon the swinging leaf of a hinge 53 securedto the side of the cabinet with its axis aligned with the axes of hingemembers 37.

Each latch structure, as seen clearly in Figures 5, 6 and 7, includes inaddition to the latch bolt 51, an actuating link 54 mounted between thesides of a U-shaped housing 55 (Figures 4 and 7), for straight linereciprocal movement in vertical directions, as by pins 56 fixed to saidhousing and extending through slots 57 in the link. Link 54 ismaintained normally in its upper position, as seen in Figure 5, with thebottoms of slots 57 urged against pins 56, as by coil spring 58 havingits lower end anchored to portions 59 struck inwardly from housing 55(Figure 7), and its other end biased against the link, as indicated at60. For convenience and compactness of construction, spring 58 ispositioned in an elongated slot 61 in the link.

Downward movement of link 54 is obtained by actuating means, including acrank 63 (see Figure 4), the major portion of which is positioned withinthe door structure. The inner end 66 of the crank lies in the path ofmovement of a single door handle 67 in a manner more fully explainedhereinafter, while its outer end 64 (Figure 5), is turned between a pairof pins 65 secured to link 54.

Latch bolt 51 is pivotally mounted upon housing 55 as by pin 68, and isprovided at its upper end with a cam slot 69 through which extends a pin70, fixed to the lower end of link 54. The slot projects downwardly tothe right, whereby straight line downward movement of link 54 will movepin 76 against the sloping wall of the slot and thus cause bolt 51 torotate about pin 68 in a counterclockwise direction. When pin 70 reachesthe bottom of the slot, spring 71 moves the bolt still further Thismakes no difference in i in the same direction until it reaches the endof a lateral extension 69a of the slot. This is the fully cockedposition of the bolt, as is clearly illustrated in Figure 6. Spring 71is wrapped around pin 68 with the ends thereof bearing against housing55, and its mid-portion hooked under projection 72 on the latch bolt.Rotative movement of latch bolt 51, as described above, disengages theforked lower end 51a thereof from keeper or strike 52, thus permittingthe door to be opened from that side of the cabinet.

Returning to Figures 5 and 6, it is seen that strike 52 is carriedsolely by the loose or swinging leaf 73 of hinge mechanism 53. This istrue of the apparatus on both sides of the cabinet and, when the door isclosed, its full weight is carried by hinges 53 through the agency ofthe pair of latch bolts 51. The disconnectable hinges 37 merely assistin holding the door aligned with the cabinet. When the door is open, itsfull weight is carried only by that one of the hinges 53 about which thedoor has pivoted to open position. Under this condition, hinges 37prevent the door from tipping and becoming disengaged from the cabinet.When the door is opening, it swings about the common axis, identified bythe numeral 74, extending through the three aligned hinge mechanisms.

Each of the hinges 53 includes the leaf 75 fixed to the side of thecabinet, and the swinging leaf 73 carrying strike 52, pivotally mountedupon leaf 75 as by pivot pin or pintle 76. Leaf 73 is urged to itsnormal position extending away from leaf 75 in the plane of the side ofthe cabinet, by coil spring 77. In this position, strike 52 is in linewith the path of movement of forked end 51a of latch bolt 51 when thedoor is moved to its closed position, and thus the two parts may easilybe engaged or disengaged.

As mentioned above, and as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the abovedescribed combined latch-hinge mechanism is duplicated on the oppositeside of the refrigerator, but opposite hand of course, thus making itpossible by selective actuation of handle 67, either toward the left ortoward the right, to open the door from either side selectively.

Now with reference to Figures 8 through 12, the apparatus enabling thesingle handle 67 to actuate the latch mechanism on either side of thedoor to the exclusion of the other, and simultaneously prevent actuationof the said other side while the one side remains open, will bedescribed.

When the door is closed and latched against the cabinet, the actuatingapparatus is in the condition shown in Figure 9, with the inner ofisetends 66 of both cranks 63 in the same plane and immediately beneath apair of pins 81 and 82, extending rearwardly from a rotor member formingthe hub 83 of handle 67. The hub extends through an escutcheon plate 84in door panel 34 (Figure 12). Looking at Figure 8, it is seen thatrotation in a counterclockwise direction of handle 67, showndiagrammatically above the mechanism, moves pin 81 downwardly againstthe end 66 of the left hand crank 63, thus to actuate latch bolt 51 onthe left side of the cabinet (looking from the rear, the right hand sideif looking from the front), so that the door may be opened from thatside. With reference to Figure 5, it will be noted that the lateraloffset 69a of slot 69 includes a rest portion 85 against which pin 70 isurged as by spring 56, tending to move link 54 upwardly when handle 67is released, thus to hold the latch mechanism in cocked position, asseen in Figure 6. Also, when the handle is released, hub 83 returns toits normal position, as urged by spring 86 which, as more clearly seenin Figures 11 and i2, is wrapped around a centrally positioned stud 76extending outwardly from hub 83, with its ends 88 biased against a pairof fixed studs 89 projecting from escutcheon plate 84.

Between the ends of spring 86, and fixed to hub 83,

' latch mechanism on the other side of the door.

is a spring biasing element 91 which, when the handle is rotated ineither direction, as seen in Figures 8 and 10, moves one end of thespring in the direction of rotation while the other end thereof remainsagainst one of studs 89, thus loading the spring. When the handle isreleased, the force stored in spring 86 urges element 91 clockwise toits normal position, and thereby returns the handle to its centeredposition. Crank 63 stays in its advanced operative position by reasonofits outer end '64 being held captive between pins 65, see Figure 6.

Pivotally mounted, as by pin 92 projecting from escutcheon plate 84, isa forked link 93, which has its forked end 94 terminating just beneathpin 87 (Figures 11 and 12). A stud 95 fixed to hub 83 extends throughthe forked end of the link and acts to rotate the link about pin 92during rotation of the hub, see Figures 8 and 10. Normally rotation oflink 93 has no effect upon the operation of the mechanism, but when thedoor is open and the end 66 of either of cranks 63 is moved to itsoperative-position (see for example the right hand crank shown inFigures Hand. 12), it will be seen that the end surface 96 of theactuated crank is in the path of rotation of the link, which has beenreturned by hub 83 to its normal position, and thereby preventsactuation of the handle to open the door from the other side while theone side is still open. Thus there is provided apositive mechanicalinterlock preventing inadvertent actuation of the mechanism on bothsides of the door, sequentially, without first closing the door. In thisway, the door is prevented from becoming completely 'disassociated fromthe cabinet.

With reference to Figure 6, it is seen that when the door is swung fromopen to closed position, the longer side 97 of the forked end of latchbolt 51 contacts strike 52 causing clockwise rotation of the bolt. Thismoves rest or detent 85 from engagement with pin 70 permitting springbto raise actuating link 54 to its uppermost position, as shown in Figure5. During this movement of the link, pin 70 moves against the slopingside 93 of cam slot 69, thus to rotate the bolt into a straight lineposition, moving or drawing-in the door gasket 36 tightly against thecabinet, thereby sealing it for airtightness. Any tendency for the doorto rebound is resisted by the steep slope of wall 98 of the cam slot.

If it becomes necessary to remove the door completely from the cabinet,this may be accomplished by first opening the door from one side andthen kicking, or otherwise forcibly rotating the cocked bolt 51 in aclockwise direction so that spring 58 can move link 54 to its totracteduppermost position, thus rendering the interlock apparatus inoperativeand permitting, actuation of the The hinges on the said other side mayhe disengaged by first moving the door toward its fully closed position,then moving it bodily away fromthe cabinet.

Now with reference to Figures 15 through 21, a second embodiment of theinvention will be described. This embodiment is simpler, in certainrespects, than the form previously described.

As shown in Figure 15, the apparatus is applied to a domesticrefrigerator cabinet 100, similar to that described in connection withthe first form of the invention and shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3. As amatter of convenience, the mechanism illustrative of this second form ofthe invention is shown only on the right hand side of the cabinet, itbeing clearly understood however, that similar mechanism-opposite handisprovided on the left side also.

The mechanism, as seen in Figures 16-18, comprises generally anelongated actuating link 101, including at opposite ends thereof, latchbolts 102 and 103 adapted for latching engagement with combined hingeand latch strike mechanisms 10 i and 105*, respectively.

With particular reference to Figure 16', it is seen that the link 101 ismounted in a u sha'ped housing 106, as by pins or studs 1'07 fixed tothewalls of the housing. and

6 extending through slots 108 in the link in a manner permittingreciprocal movement of the link in straight line vertical directions.Link 161 is maintained normally in its uppermost position with thebottom of slots 108 urged against pins 107, as by coil spring 109 havingits lower end anchored to portions 110 struck inwardly from the walls ofhousing 106, and its other end biased against the link, as indicated in111. For convenience and compactness of construction, the spring ispositioned in an elongated slot 112 in the link.

Downward movement of the link is obtained by actuating means, includinga crank 113, the major portion of which is mounted within the doorstructure in a manner similar to that shown in Figure 4. Its outer end114 extends through the door panel and is turned between a pair of studsor pins 115 on link 101. The other end 116 of the crank (see Figures 19through 21), extends into the path of movement of, and is actuated by,the single door handle 113 mounted centrally on panel 117 of the door,and as more fully explained hereinafter.

Still with reference to Figure 16, it is seen that latch bolt 103 issimilar to latch bolt 51 in the first described form of the invention,and is actuated in like manner. The bolt is pivotally mounted upon thehousing 106, as by pin 119, and is provided. in its upper portion with acam slot 120, through which extends a pm 121 fixed to the lower end oflink 101. The slot extends downwardly to the right, whereby downwardstraight line movement of link 101 will move pin 121 against the slopingwall of the slot and thus rotate bolt 103. about pin 119 in acounterclockwise direction, until the pin reaches the bottom of theslot. Spring 122 will then move the bolt still further in the samedirection until pin 121 reaches the end of a lateral extension a of theslot. This is the fully retracted or cocked position, as is clearlyshown in Figure 17. Spring 122 is wrapped upon pin 119 with one endthereof against housing 106, and its other end hooked behind the lowerportion of bolt 103.

The upper latch bolt 102 is pivotally mounted on housing 106, as by pin123 secured to the housing walls. The upper end of the bolt is providedwith a cam slot 124 through which extends a pin 125 fixed to the upperend of link 101. The slot extends downwardly to the left, whereby theaforesaid downward movement of link 101, and consequently pin 125, willrotate the bolt about pin 123, in a clockwise direction, until itreaches the bottom of the slot at which time coil spring 126 will movethe bolt still further in the same direction until it reaches the end ofa lateral extension 127 of the slot. This is the fully retracted orcocked position, andis clearly shown in Figure 17. It will be noted inthis figure that with the bolt in this position, pin 125 is restingagainst the left side of extension 127. It Will also be noted that theextension includes an olfsetextending r upwardly from the pin, for areason which will be described hereinafter. The rotative movements, asdescribed, of latch bolts 102 and 103, disengage forked ends 128 and129, of each bolt, from strikes 130 and 131, respectively.

Strikes 130 and 131.are mounted between the side walls of U-shapedbrackets 132 (see Figure 22), the bases of which are pivotally securedto the ends of pintles or shafts 133, rotatably mounted in the hub 135of each hinge 104 and 105, as by roller bearing 134. Referring to Figure16, it will be seen that only the lower hinge 1.05 has been completelyillustrated, it being understood that hinge 104 is similar to hinge 105except that the strike depends from, rather than being supported abovethe hinge.

While not considered absolutely necessary, it has been found helpful toprovide a pair of fingers 136, one at the top and the other at thebottom, adjacent bolts 102 and 103. These fingers are secured to thedoor in any suitable manner as at 137 and are provided with proje'ctions1 38. Each finger is of a width (Figure 22) substantially equal to thespacing between the side walls of U-shaped bracket 132, and when thedoor is closed the fingers are received within the brackets (see Figure22) in a manner positively positioning the door structure relative tothe cabinet. Brackets 132 are held with their open ends in the path ofmovement of said fingers and said bolts, as by coil springs 132a. Whenthe door is open the fingers on the pivotal side of the door preventswaying of the door, which might occur should the latch bolts be theonly means holding the door in alignment with the cabinet. the forkedends of latch bolts 102 and 103 may be con structed of sufiicient widthto align the door properly with the cabinet when the door is open.However, because of manufacturing tolerances, it has been found moreexpedient to utilize the fingers.

It should be understood too, that these fingers do not in any waysupport the weight of the door which is carried solely upon the lowerpivotally mounted strikes 131 at each side of the door; the other bolts,strikes and finger mechanisms act in conjunction therewith only to holdthe door aligned with the cabinet.

To open the door, crank 113 is rotated in a clockwise direction movinglink 101 downwardly to the extent shown in Figure 17, and as limited bythe upper end of slots 108. latch bolt 103 has been rotated in acounterclockwise direction, and that upper latch bolt 102 has beenrotated in a clockwise direction. Thus both bolts are disengaged fromtheir respective strikes, and it is possible to swing the door about themechanism on the other side of said door. The actuating link is held inits advanced position, Figure 17, by the engagement of pin 121, with theoffset portion 120a of slot 120.

With the mechanism in the condition shown in Figure 17, it is possibleby exerting a force, such as a kick, in a clockwise direction againstthe lower latch bolt 103, to unseat pin 121 from behind the lateralextension 120a of slot 120. Should this occur, spring 109 would moveactuating link 101 upwardly and latch bolt 103 to its uncooked position.An important feature of the invention is to prevent complete actuationof the link 101 to its completely retracted position under theseconditions. It is for this reason that the upward extension of slotoffset 127 is provided.

As will be seen in Figure 18, when the lower latch bolt has beeninadvertently unseated or moved to its uncocked position, as describedabove, pin 125, at the upper end of link 101, will move into the upwardoffset or" extension 127 of slot 124 after very slight upward movementof link 101, and thus, as will be described hereinafter, preventactuation of the mechanism on the other side of the door. With pin 125,in the offset, it is extremely difiicult inadvertently to move latchbolt 102, whereby the mechanism would be completely uncooked and permitactuation of the mechanism on the other side of the door.

With particular reference to Figures 19, and 21, the link actuatingmechanism will now be described. This mechanism enables the singlehandle 118 to actuate the latch mechanism on either side of the door tothe exclusion of the other, and simultaneously provides a mechanicalinterlock preventing actuation of the said other side while the oneremains open.

With the door closed and latched against the cabinet, the actuatingapparatus, identified generally by the numeral 140, is in the conditionshown in Figure 19, with inner ends 116 of cranks 113 positioned beneathand adjacent a pair of pins or studs 141 and 142, extending rearwardlyfrom rotor 143, forming the hub of handle 118. Hub 143 extends throughthe escutcheon plate 144 (Figure 23), mounted on the outer panel of thedoor, and into the space between the door panels, similarly to hub 83 inFigure 4.

Looking now at Figure 20, it is seen that rotation of the handle in acounterclockwise direction moves pin 141 downwardly against the ofisetend 116 of the left It should be clearly understood, however, that Whenin this condition, it is seen that lower hand crank 113, thus to actuatethe latch mechanism on the left side of the cabinet so that the door maybe opened from that side. At the completion of this movement, the lowerlatch bolt 103 will have moved to the position, shown in Figure 17,where pin 121 is urged against the offset portion a of slot 120, therebyto hold the latch mechanism in its retracted, cocked position, and theend 114 of crank 113 in its turned position, by reason of its captivitybetween studs 115 on the actuating link 101 (see Figure 16). Thus theinner end 116 of the left hand crank will be held in its rotated orlowered position, as shown in Figure 21.

Returning to Figure 19, it is seen that the apparatus includes avertically positioned link 145 having an outwardly turned upper endportion 145a biased upwardly against the inner end 116 of crank 113, asby coil spring 146. It will also be noted that a similar link 147 isbiased against the inner end 116 of the right hand crank 113, as byspring 148. Attached to the lower extremity of hub 143, and extendingoutwardly therefrom in a position between links 145 and 147, is a keymember 149 of slightly less width than the space between the verticalportions of these link elements. As seen in Figures 20 and 23, rotationof hub 143 in a counterclockwise direction moves key 149 through a notch150 in the edge of link 147 which remains stationary, while at the sametime a similar notch 151 in the edge of link 145 is moved downwardlywith the link to a position offset from the path of movement of keymember 149.

Means for returning the hub, and consequently the handle, to its normalposition after actuation of the latch mechanism is provided by a linkelement 152 having ear portions 153 biased against the underside of pins141 and 142 (Figure 19), as by coil spring 154. Element 152 is mountedover a stud 155, fixed-to the center of hub 143, and extending throughan elongated slot 156 in the element. Rotation in either direction ofhub 143 moves element 152 downwardly, as shown in Figure 20, but as soonas the handle is released, spring 154 moves the element back to itsnormal upper position, as seen in Figure 19, and thus, by reason of cars153 bearing against pins 141 and 142, returns hub 143 to its normalposition. This is illustrated quite clearly in Figure 21, which showsthe condition of the apparatus after the latch mechanism on the lefthand side has been actuated, as shown in Figure 20, and the handle hasbeen released.

With the apparatus in the position shown in Figure 21, it will be seenthat it is impossible to rotate hub 143 in a clockwise direction formore than a very minute distance, as member 149 would almost immediatelycontact the side of vertically positioned link 145, by reason of thefact that the notch 151 in this link is offset from the path of movementof key member 149.

Thus, it is seen that this mechanism, like that described in connectionwith the first form of the invention, provides a positive mechanicalinterlock preventing actuation of both latch mechanisms sequentiallyWithout returning the first'actuated to its latched condition.

Referring now to Figure 17, it is seen that the closing of the doorbrings the longer sides 128a and 129a of the forked ends of latch bolts102 and 103 against strikes 130 and 131, causing rotation of each boltin a direction toward latching engagement with said strikes. Clockwiserotation of lower latch bolt 103 moves the bolt from.

its cocked position to a position aligning pin 121 with slot 120.Simultaneously, pin 125 of bolt 102 is brought into alignment with slot124. Actuating link 101 then moves upwardly, as urged by spring 109,moving pins 121 and 125 against the sloping sides of their respectiveslots, and thus positively drawing-in the door tightly against thecabinet gasket 157. Any tendency for the door to re-bound is resisted bythe steep angle of the walls of slots 120 and 124.

In addition to the features mentioned, above, this mechanism alsoprovides means facilitatingthe easy and complete removal of the doorfrom the cabinet. This may be accomplished by first opening thedoor'from' one-side, as described above. The latch mechanism on the openside is then in the condition shown in Figure 17, with the interlockoperative to prevent actuation of the latch on the other side. Upperbolt 102 is then manually rotated in a counterclockwise direction as far'as possible, whereby pin 125 is aligned with slot 124, then lowerlatch bolt 103 is kicked, or otherwise moved in a clockvolves inventiveprinciples in the latch-hinge structure per se. In this regard, itshould be understood that separate handles, or actuators, could beprovided for the mechanism on each side of the door. U

From the above description of the'tw'o illustrative forms of the presentinvention, it can be seen that it provides a combined latch-hingemechanism which is sturdy, de'

pendable, and positive in latching function.

We claim: Y 7

1. In combination: a cabinet having a. front opening; a door; aplurality of combined latch-hing'emechanisms mounting said door oversaidlfront opening in a manner whereby said door may be opened from itsright or its left hand side, selectively, said cabinet having side wallsand said door being of a width spanning the distance between said sidewalls; a pair of latch-hinge mechanisms disposed toward the lowerportion of the cabinet and serving to support the weight of the door; anadditional pair of latchhinge mechanisms disposed toward the upperportion of said cabinet and serving to hold said do'or against tiltingmovements about said pair first mentioned; each of said latch-hingemechanisms including a strike pivotally mounted upon a side wall of saidcabinet adjacent said front opening, and a latch member mounted uponsaiddoor in position for releasable en a ement with said strike; meansfor releasing said members from said strikes, selectively, whereby saiddoor maybe swung open about the latch hinge mechanisms on either side ofthe cabinet; a handle rotatably mounted in fixed door structure; a linkmovably mounted upon each side of said door, said link including meansat opposite end portions thereof to actuate said latch members; crankmeans connecting said links to said handle; means actuated by saidhandle for rotating said crank means whereby movement of said handle inone direction actuates the link on one side of said door to release saidlatch members on said one side from the associated strikes to providefor opening of said door about the combined latch-hinge mechanisms onthe other side of said door; and interlock said pair first mentioned,said latch. members beingv mounted for swinging movement in asubstantially vertical plane between advanced and retracted positionsinto and out of engagement with said strikes; means actuated when saiddoor is moved to closed position about one of said pivotally mountedstrikes to move said latch on the opposite side to advanced positionengaging the other pivotally mounted strike; means for releasing eitherof said latch members from its associated strike for movement 10 toretracted position providing for swinging movement of said door upon theopposite engaged latch member and strike; rod means associated with eachof said latch members, each of said rod means extending through the doorstructure'andhaving inner ends disposed inadjacency; a handle;meansassociated with the inner ends" of said rod means and actuatable bysaidhandle to operate either one of said rod means, selectively; meansassociated with each of said latch members releasably to hold said rodmeans in actuated position; and means actuated simultaneously with eachof said rod means to prevent actuation of the other rod means until therod means first'actuatcd is returned to normal position.

3. In combination with a door and jamb structure, door 7 latching andhinging means for connecting said door to said-jamb structure, wherebysaid door may be opened from either side, said means comprising: a pairof pivotallymounted latch strikes, and a pair of latch members, one paircarried by thevjamb structure at opposite sides thereof and the otherpair supported upon the door in position to engage said pair firstmentioned, said latchrnernbers being mounted for swinging movement in asubstantially vertical plane between advanced and retract'ed positionsinto and out of engagement with said strikes; means actuated when saiddoor is moved to closed position about one of said pivotally mountedstrikes to move said latch on the opposite side to advanced positionengaging the-other pivotally mounted strike; means for releasingeitherof said latch members from its associated strike for movement toretracted position providing for swinging movement of said door upon theopposite engaged latch member and strike; a handle including a hubrotatably mounted in s'aid'door; a crank associated with each or saidlatch 'rnemb'ers, and means carried by said hub for rotating saidcranks, selectively, out of normal I rest position, to actuate either ofsaid latch members;

and interlock means movable by said hub in a manner to prevent actuationof said cranks sequentially without returning the previously actuatedcrank to its normal position.

4. In combination with a'door and jamb structure, door latching andhinging means for connecting said door to said jar'n'b structure wherebysaid' door may be opened from either side, said means comprising: a pairof pivotally mounted latch strikesand a pair of latch members,

one pair-carriedby the jamb structure at opposite sides.

thereo'f'and the-other pair supported upon the door' in position toengage said pair first mentioned, said latch members being mounted forswinging movement in asubstantially vertical plane between advanced andre- 't'racte'd'positions into and out of enga ement with said strikes;means actuated when said door is moved to closed position about one ofsaid pivotally mounted strikes to move said latch on the opposite sideto advanced positionenga'ging the other pivotally mounted strike;

means for releasing either of said latch members from its associatedstrike for-movement to retracted position providing for swingingmovement of said door upon the opposite engaged latch member and strike;a handle including a hub rotatably mounted insaid door; a crankassociatedwith each of said latch members, and means carried by'said hubfor rotating said cranks, selectively, out of normal rest position, toactuate either of said latch members, and interlock means movable bysaid hub in a manner to prevent actuation of said cranks sequentiallywithout returning the previously actuated crank to its normal position,said interlock means including; a key element attached to and projectingfrom said hub and a link positioned on each side of said key element andin the path of movement thereof, each of said links having a notchthrough which said key element may pass when said hub is'rotated, one ofsaid links being positioned in the path of movement of one of saidcranks, and the other of said links being positioned in the path ofmovement ofthe other of said'cranks, whereby rotation of said hub toactuate one of said cranks moves said key ele- 11 ment through the notchof the link associated with the sai other crank and simultaneously movesthe notch ang the said other link out of the path of movement of sai keyelement, whereby rotation of said hub in the opposite direction toactuate said other crank is prevented until said other link is returnedto normal position.

5. In combination with a door and jamb structure, door latching andhinging means for connecting said door to said jamb structure, wherebysaid door may be opened from either side, said means comprising: a pairof pivotally mounted latch strikes, and a pair of latch members, onepair carried by the jamb structure at opposite sides thereof and theother pair supported upon the door in position to engage said pair firstmentioned, said latch members being mounted for swinging movement in asubstantially vertical plane between advanced and retracted positionsinto and out of engagement with said strikes; means actuated when saiddoor is moved to closed position about one of said pivotally mountedstrikes to move said latch member on the opposite side to advancedposition engaging the other pivotally mounted strike; means forreleasing either of said latch members from its associated strike formovement to retracted position providing for swinging movement of saiddoor upon the opposite engaged latch member audstrike; a handlerotatably mounted upon said door; a link moveably mounted upon each sideof said door and jamb structure; pins secured to end portions of saidlinks, each pin engaging a cam portion provided in a corresponding oneof said latch members; and means connecting said links to said handlewhereby movement of said handle in one direction actuates the link onone side of said door and jamb structure to rotate its associated latchmember and to release said member from its strike.

6. In combination with a door and jamb structure, door latching andhinging means for connecting said door to said jamb structure, wherebysaid door may be opened from either side, said means comprising: a pairof pivotally mounted latch strikes, and a pair of latch members, onepair carried by the jamb structure at opposite sides thereof and theother pair supported upon the door in position to engage said pair firstmentioned, said latch members being mounted for swinging movement in asubstantially vertical plane between advanced and retracted positionsinto and out of engagement with said strikes; means actuated when saiddoor is moved to closed position about one of said pivotally mountedstrikes to move said latch member on the opposite side to advancedposition engaging the other pivotally mounted strike; means forreleasing either of latch members from its associated strike formovement to retracted position providing for swinging movement of saiddoor upon the opposite engaged latch member and strike; manuallyactuatable latch releasing means; a link moveably mounted upon each sideof said door and jamb structure; drive means secured to end portions ofsaid links, each drive means engaging a corresponding latch member; andmeans connecting said links to said manually actuatable latch releasingmeans, in such manner that movement of said latch releasing means in onesense actuates the link on one side of said door to rotate itsassociated latch member, through said drive means, and release saidmember from its strike, and movement of said latch releasing means inanother sense actuates the link on the other side of said door to rotateits associated latch member, through said drive means, and to releasethe latter member from its strike.

7. In combination with a door and jamb structure, door latching andhinging means for connecting said door to said jar'nb structure wherebysaid door may be opened from either side, said means comprising: a pairof door supporting strike members, each including horizontally disposedload-bearing means, one strike member being carried by said jambstructure at one side of said door and the other strike member beingcarried by said jamb structure at the other side of said door, thehorizontally disposed loadbearing means of each strike member beingmounted for pivotal movements about a generally vertical axis whereby toprovide for opening movements of the door about either strike member; apair of bifurcated latch members each confronting a corresponding strikemember, one latch member being mounted on one side of said door and theother latch member being mounted at the other side thereof, and eachlatch member being adapted for releasable engagement with a confrontingone of said load-bearing means to support the door upon said means;means including a camming connection mounting each of said latch membersfor swinging movement in a substantially vertical plane, extendingtransverse the plane of the door opening, downwardly toward itsconfronting load-bearing means during closing and latching of the door,and upwardly away from its confronting load-bearing means during openingof the door; resilient means associated with said door and with thecamming connection of each latch member, said resilient means beingeffective to bias said latch members for the stated downward swingingmovements, said camming connections being so configured as to providefor movement of said latch members, when released from engagement withsaid load-bearing means, to an upper, retracted position in which saidlatch members remain cocked and free for the stated swinging movementsdownwardly under the influence of said resilient means, the constructionand arrangement being such that as the door swings toward closedposition, pivoting upon the loadbearing means of one of said strikemembers, the retracted, cocked, bifurcated latch member on the free sideof the door is actuated by contact with its confronting load-bearingmeans to cause said latch member to move to uncocked position and swingdownwardly toward and into straddling engagement with said confrontingload-bearing means, whereby to latch the door and to support the sameupon the latter means; and means for releasing said latch members,selectively, to accommodate opening of the door from either side.

References Citedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,813,145 Cavicchioli July 7, 1931 1,929,775 De Voe Oct. 10, 19331,933,009 Epton Oct. 31, 1933 2,166,534 Rosenfeld July 18, 19392,195,991 Lovett Apr. 2, 1940 2,261,147 Dow Nov. 4, 1941 2,275,128Campbell Mar. 3, 1942 2,357,397 Fuller Sept. 5, 1944 2,636,212 CohunApr. 28, 1953 2,650,388 White Sept. 1, 1953 2,650,846 Allen Sept. 1,1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 20,840 Great Britain Oct. 4, 1909 up ma

